Lock slider for zipper fasteners



May 1 1964 o. J. HUELSTER LOCK SLIDER FOR ZIPPER FASTENERS Filed NOV. 16, 1961 INVENTOR OH'o J Huelgi'er ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,133,328 LOCK SLIDER FOR ZIPPER FASTENERS Otto J. Huelster, Lake Plymouth, Plymouth, Conn., assignor to Scoviil Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Coun., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Nov. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 152,862 3 Claims. (Cl. 24205.14)

My invention relates to what may be termed a semiautomatic lock slider. It is automatic in the sense that it will snap into locking position when the pull tab is released from its normal operating position, but at the same time, will hold the locking member in released position and firmly support the same when the pull tab is swung backwardly against the slider. This latter feature is desirable to protect the parts from damage when the fastener is put into a pressing machine.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an improved slider of the class described which will combine the advantages of a fully automatic lock slider with the advantages derived from holding out and supporting the spring-locking member to prevent damage in a pressing machine.

It is a further object to provide an improved lock slider having all the advantages above set forth and at the same time, consists of only three pieces-namely, a slider body, a spring-locking member and a pull tab, and wherein the spring itself is of economical construction, and wherein the assembly can be made without diflicult and expensive operations which have usually been required in prior three-piece sliders of this general type.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing, I have shown for the purpose of illustration, one embodiment which the invention may assume in practice. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my improved lock slider, with the pull tab in vertical position to the slider;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing the pull tab in its down and locked position;

FIG. 3 is a similar cross-section but showing the pull tab in a perpendicular position, similar to FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is also a partial sectional on the same line showing the pull tab backwardly or upwardly;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the three pieces of my improved slider before assembly;

FIG. 6 is a partial view on an enlarged scale of the hinged end of the pull tab in reverse position; and,

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the spring member,

per se.

The slider consists generally of a slider body having front and back wings 7 and '8 respectively, connected at their upper ends by a V-shaped neck 9 and having the usual side flanges 1th The wings are spaced apart so as to provide the usual Y-shaped channel 11 through which the zipper fastener elements pass.

The spring-locking member consists generally of a strip or plate of comparatively thin spring metal, such as stainless steel, and overlies the outer surface of the front wing 7. It has a locking projection 12 which normally extends into the slider channel through a hole 13 in the wing 7 and adjacent this projection is a hump 14 preferably of rectangular shape.

Above the hump 14 is a springy extension 15 substantially narrower than the hump and normally lying flat against the slider. The normal condition refers to the position of the parts as shown in FIG. 2. The extension of the spring member is turned downwardly into the V-neck of the slider as indicated at 16, and this portion of the spring-locking member is firmly anchored in the "ice neck by portions of metal 17 which may be skived out from the adjacent wall of the neck.

The pull tab, generally designated 18, may be of the usual rectangular shape having a pair of spaced arms 19 and 20 straddling the hump 14 of the locking member. These arms are integrally joined at their ends by a pintle 21 which engages under and extends across the hump.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the pintle has opposed cams 22 and 23, the plane through the high points of which is inclined toward the lower end of the slider, preferably at an angle of about 30 as indicated by the line 24, when the pull tab is positioned perpendicularly to the wings of the slider. The surfaces of the pint-1e 21 on either side of the upper cam when the pull tab is in such perpendicular position, have a substantial slope toward the slider body whereby the pull tab will be swung downwardly and forwardly against the slider when it is released from such perpendicular position. The distance between such high points is substantially greater than the normal distance between the inner surface 25 of the hump 14 and the outer surface of the front wing. Thus, when the pull tab is released from its normal operating position, which will be approximately the perpendicular position, the action of the spring-locking member on the cams 22 and 23 will cause the pull tab to swing or snap downwardly into the locking position of FIG. 2, it being noted that the cams adjacent their high points are smoothly rounded so as to facilitate this action.

The pull tab pintle 21 carries two other cams 26 which in the normal position, extend into recesses 27 in the front slider wing. However, when the pull tab is moved to its extreme upper position or back against the slider as shown in FIG. 4, these earns 26 will hold the locking member in unlocked position and at the same time, firmly support it against any pressure such as might be applied in a pressing operation. It will also be noted that in this position, the fastener may be readily ripped open or stripped which is an advantage in many garments, such as mens trousers.

At the lower end of the locking member adjacent the projection 12, there is an outwardly projecting log 28 which projects under a hook-like shelf 29- struck up from the front wing 7. This is for the purpose of providing a positive stop against outward movement of the spring-locking member.

As a result of my invention, it will be observed that a lock slider can be provided for zipper fasteners that will have the advantage of automatically springing into locked position when it is released from any normal operating position where the pull tab is substantially at right angle to the slider, thus requiring no particular attention by the user, such as is the case in prior sliders of this general type where the tab must be intentionally moved to a position where it is at least fairly close to the slider before it will finally snap into locked position.

At the same time, my improved slider combines with that desirable feature the advantages of a lock hold-out and solid spring support when the pull tab is in the upper or reverse position, and thus, one of the advantages which cannot be obtained in the fully automatic lock sliders.

What I claim is:

1 A lock slider for zipper fasteners comprising in combination (a) a slider body having a pair of spaced apart wings connected at their upper end by a neck so as to provide a channel therebetween,

(b) a spring-locking member overlying one of said wings, said locking member having a locking projection extending through an opening in such wing which is normally yieldingly urged into the slider channel and a hump adjacent said locking projection which is spaced from the outer surface of such wing,

(c) means for attaching said locking member to the slider body,

(d) a pull tab having at one end a pair of arms strad- (e) opposing cams on said pintle having their high points arranged in a plane which inclines toward the lower end of the slider when the pull tab extends perpendicularly to the slider wings, the surfaces of said pintle on either side of the upper one of said cams having a substantial slope toward the slider body when the pull tab is in said perpendicular position, the distance between such high points being greater than the normal distance between the inner surface of said hump and the outer surface of the slider, whereby said cams acting on said surfaces will lift the said locking projection out of the slider channel when the pull tab is moved to such perpendicular position.

-2. A lock slider for zipper fasteners as defined in claim 1 wherein said hump on the locking member has a flat inner surface normally parallel to the outer surface of the underlying slider wing and wherein said cams on the pin-tle are smoothly rounded adjacent their high points. 3. A lock slider for zipper fasteners as defined in claim 1 in combination with (1) another cam on said pintle which projects inwardly when the pull extends downwardly, which cam 00- operates with the inner surface of said hump on the locking member to hold the locking projection out of the slider channel when the pull tab is swung backwardly against the slider.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,654,931 Voity Oct. 13, 1953 2,913,795 Brown Nov. 24. 1959 3,016,592 Manning Jan. 16'. 1962 

1. A LOCK SLIDER FOR ZIPPER FASTENERS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION (A) A SLIDER BODY HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED APART WINGS CONNECTED AT THEIR UPPER END BY A NECK SO AS TO PROVIDE A CHANNEL THEREBETWEEN, (B) A SPRING-LOCKING MEMBER OVERLYING ONE OF SAID WINGS, SAID LOCKING MEMBER HAVING A LOCKING PROJECTION EXTENDING THROUGH AN OPENING IN SUCH WING WHICH IS NORMALLY YIELDINGLY URGED INTO THE SLIDER CHANNEL AND A HUMP ADJACENT SAID LOCKING PROJECTION WHICH IS SPACED FROM THE OUTER SURFACE OF SUCH WING, (C) MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAID LOCKING MEMBER TO THE SLIDER BODY, (D) A PULL TAB HAVING AT ONE END A PAIR OF ARMS STRAD- 